Apparatus fob feeding and control



Sept. 29, 1942. w oss 2,296,953

APPARATUS F0 EEDING AND CONTROLL THE FLOW OF MATERIALS OM P CHU D THELIKE 1 Aug. 1940 j/msvn Patented Sept. 29, 1942 APPARATUS FOR FEEDINGFLOW OF MATERIALS FROM HOPPERS, CHUTES, AND

LING THE AND CONTROL- THE LIKE William Ross, London, England ApplicationAugust 2, 1940, Serial No.

In Great Britain August 23,, 1939 3 Claims. (01. 221128) This inventionrelates to apparatus for feeding and controlling the flow of granularmaterials such .as coke, coal, sand, stone, ore or other granular orlike material while freely falling or wholly or partially supported by achute and of the kind which comprises a flexible apron or curtaincomposed of endless chains supported at one end thereof for rotation inan orbital path, the chains usuallyconsisting of ship anchor chains,mooring chains or crane chains.

The chains as hitherto employed in apparatus of the above kind have beenformed as closed loops having all the links thereof completely closed,as by welding. This construction, however, is open to several objectionschief among which are the necessity of installing the chains upon thelatter being installed in position, and the difliculty of repairing,adjusting or altering the chains when the apparatus is in use.

It is the object of the invention to provide an improved construction ofthe chains which removes the above difiiculties.

The invention arises from a realisation of the fact that although inapparatus of this kind it is necessary that the chain links shall beheavy atively unimportant.

The invention accordingly consists in apparatus of the kind abovespecified wherein the chains have open links.

The invention also consists in apparatus of the kind specified whereinthe flexible apron or curtion,

The invention also consists in apparatus according to the precedingparagraph wherein the opening or gap in an open link is formed betweenpointed or V-shaped ends of the link the points of which almost but donot quite touch.

The invention also consists in the further features hereafter describedor indicated.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a part sectional side elevation of one form of apparatus inaccordance with the invention,

Figure 2 is a front view of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the rotatable chain support showing aportion of one of the chains supportedthereon, and

Figure 4 is a reduceddiagrammatic view of a flexible chain curtainprovided in accordance with the invention.

In carrying the invention into effect in one convenient manner asillustrated in the drawing, apparatus is provided for feedingorcontrolling the flow of granular or like material comprising a chute Iupon which the material travels and a flexible endless apron or curtain2 rotatably supported at one end above the chuteso that the free portionof the curtain may engage the material on the chute, the rotatablesupport for the curtain conveniently consisting of a series oftransverse spaced rods or'bars 3 circularly dis-' posed and secured attheir end to end discs or plates 4 fixed upon a central spindle 5mounted for rotation in suitable bearings. The endless curtain iscomposed of transversely adjacent-endless chains after the nature of orconsisting of ship anchor chains, mooring chains or crane chains andaccording to the invention some or all of the chain links-6 are formedas open links, the ends I of which ends are conveniently pointed orV-shaped and almost touch one another while permitting, however,adjacent links of a chain being mutually passed through each othereither for engagement or disengagement as the case may be. In some casesand as illustrated in Figure 4, the flexible curtain is composed ofpairs of open chain links secured together side by side, as by Weldingat 8, with their open sides disposed out-.

ermost and the thus connected pairs of links are preferably arranged instaggered relationship throughout the curtain surface as is clearlyillustrated in the figure.

Advantages arising from this construction of the curtain are as follows:

(a) The chain links can easily be strung to form an endless chain of thelength desired;

(b) The chain links can easily be assembled together after the rotarysupporting structure for the eventual position, that is to say, it isnot necessary that the complete chains should be hung upon thesupporting structure before the latter is lifted into position. Thenecessity of having to do this with the chains as hitherto employed,that is, chains having closed links, gives rise to one of the greatestdifficulties in the erection of the 2 apparatus due to the heavycombined weight of the rotary supporting structure and the chains;

(c) Chain links can readily be added or removed from the curtain chainsin order to vary the effective power of the curtain, this being animportant consideration both in the initial regulation of a newinstallation and in adapting the same afterwards to meet changes inconditions;

(d) A complete loop of chain links can readily be removed or added, asand when required;

(e) Links or loops placed when worn out. i

Chains of links are seldom made of cast metal" expense involved.

because of the difficulties and The links of my chains, however, aresimple individual units, easily cast, and as such they'open they can be.made.

up the great advantage that of a variety of materials that best and mosteconomically suit the duties to be performed by the feeder. For example,I may make the links of cast iron .for quiet feeding conditions, of caststeel for violent feeding conditions and of cast manganese steel for,"violent and/or abrasive feeding conditions. ,I may alternatively make mylinks of mild steel, heated and forged to shape, r I In producing thelengths of chains I may use closed links for allbut the end links, thusretaining the advantage that a formed chain can immediately be: loopedover the rotary supporting structure when'the latter is in place and; insuch cases as' may be required, I may finally close these end links .bywelding or other means.

I may use closed links for all but four or six or eight of the totalnumber of links of 'a chainusually twenty to forty links-therebyproviding the operatorgwith ample scope for adjustment; yIi'clalm: if Tf f 1.-An apparatus -for controlling the 'flow of granular, pulverulentor the like material in chutes 1comprising; a rotatablemember placedabovethe' chute, an endless flexible chain member engaging saidrotatablemember and suspended therefrom so as to be engageable with thereof canreadily be rethe material delivered to the chute, the said chain memberincluding a plurality of endless chains composed of interconnected openlinks arranged in longitudinal and transverse parallel rows, certainlinks in alternate transverse rows being joined back to back to form aunit, and said units being also alternately disposed with respect toeach other to effectively couple the chains together, the outer links ofalternate transverse rows having their outer open sides located at themarginal edges of the chain member.

2. Anfapparatus for controlling the flow of -"gra'n'ular, pulverulent orthe like material in 15 chutes or slides comprising a rotatable memberplaced above the chute or slide and an endless flexible. chain memberengaging said rotatable element and suspended therefrom so as to beengageable with the material delivered to the chute, the said chainmember including a plurality of endless chains composed ofinterconnected open links arranged in-longitudinal and transverse rowsand certain links in adjacent rows being joined back to back to form aunit and the open links of the chains which form the edges of the chainunit having their openings located along the marginal edges of theunits. 7 i

3. An apparatu for controlling the flow of granular, pulverulent or thelike material in chutes or slides comprising a rotatable member placedabove the chute or slide and an endless flexible chain member engagingsaid rotatable element and suspended therefrom so as to be engageablewith the material delivered to the chute, the said chain memberincluding a plurality of endless chains composed of interconnected openlinks arranged in longitudinal and transverse rows and certain links inadjacent rows being joined back to back to form a unit and the openlinks of the chains which form the edges of the chain unit having theiropenings located along the marginal edges of the units, the ends of thelinks forming the opening therein being pointed or V-shaped.

WILLIAM ROSS.

